Improvement in tumbling-shafts



DANIEL SNELL.

' Improvement in Tumbling-Shafts. N0. H4,616

Patented May 9,1871.

@tfiim DANIEL SNELL, OF CLARK COUNTY, OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 114,616, dated May 9, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN TUMBLlNG-SHAFTS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

The first part of my invention relates to the fastening of the rod portion of a tumbling-shaft to the knuckle-pieces in such manner that the same may be easily and quickly detached therefrom 91" attachedthereto, the object of this part of my invention being to take the shaft-sections apart without the necessity of separating the knuckles, which are coupled 'by screw-bolts riveted in.

The second part of my invention consists in con strncting the tumbling-shaft, with the connecting parts of the same, with smooth and even surfaces, presentmg no projections whatever, as bolts, keys, rivets, and the like, to catch the clothing of the operator or those passing over it when the shaft is in motion, thus preventing all liability to those accidents so frequent in using shafts of the ordinary kind with bolt-aud-key couplings.

Figure 1 is a view of a section of my improved tumbling-shaft, including one of the knuckle-pieces, with a portion of the rod attached.

Figure 2 is a view of the end of the knuckle-piece at the right hand of Ain fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the parts shown in fig. 1, showing the position of the parts when the rod is inserted and when only partially pushed in, as seen in dotted lines.

Figure 4 shows the end of the rod, 'with the notch in the same, for reception of the spring catch, which fastens the two together.

Figure 5 shows head of screw-bolt a.

A is the knuckle-piece or half of the coupling part of the tumbling-shaft.

B the end of the rod, which is square, to fit the hole in the knuckle-piece.

O is the hole in the end of A for reception of th end of rod B.

The screw-bolt a couples the knuckle-piece to its fellow.

The spring catch 0 works in slot 0' in the piece A.

It has an angular 0r-beveled head which projects down into the hole 0, in fig. 2, when the end of rod B is out.

This spring is about three and a half inches long in the full-sized knuckle, and its inner end is fastened at the back end of hole 0 by a rivet, r, passing through from the inside to the outside of knucklepiece A.

Slot 0' is deep enough .to allow the spring with its head d to iecede into it when rod B is pushed-in against it, as seen in dotted lines, fig. 3.

The end of the rod at b is beveled, to case the ac-. tion of the spring in its backward movement.

When the rod B is pushed into its place the head part it of spring falls into notch e.

A shallow guiding-groove e is continued from the notch to the beveled end pr the rod. This serves to guide the spring headd to its notch e, and, at the same time, prevents its being moved laterally by jamming, making its action more certain.

The notch e is made long enough to allow the rod to have a slight play endwise.

The notch and groovemay be on oueor more sides of the rod B, as also bevel b.

' The screw-bolt a, which passes through the fork of A and couples it to its fellow, has a slotted head, like a wood screw, let into a countersink in the cheek-piece of fork, and a thread cut on its lower end, which passesfar enough through to slightly rivet it witha few blows of a hammer on that side, which has also a slight countersink for that purpose, so that when fitted together the shaft and coupling. have an entire Sl'IlOOtll 01 even surface.

The ordinary tumbling-shaft has caused many serious, and, in some cases, fatal accidents from the bolt and-key coupling, and the advantages of my mode of construction, which is designed to carefully guard against these causes, willbe gratefully appreciated by those who have realized the danger of running ma chinery with this means of transmitting power.

In attempting to oil the shaft-bearings when the machinery is in motion the danger is greatest, and in most instances, where the hearing was near thecoupling parts, the accidents have resulted from this cause. As my shaft'is constructed this can be done without danger.

I am aware that coupling-knuckles have been made with a square hole for the insertion of the square end of the rodpart of the shaft, and I make no claim to this as any part of my invention, which is adapted to other forms of the hole androd; nor do I claim as any part of this invention'a loosely-inserted or sliding rod, as that was the subject of my former patent.

I claim as my inveution,

1. Spring catch 0, or its equivalent, slot 0', and notch I e, in combination'with knuckle-piece Aand rod B, substantially as shown, for the purposes setforth.

2. Bevel b and groove e',"-in combination with spring catch 0, notch 0, rod B, and knuckle-piece A, substantially as shown, for the purpose set forth.

3. Screw-bolt a, in combination with knuckle A, substantially as shown, for thepurpose set forth.

4. Constructing a tumbling-shaft with permanentlyjoi ned knuckle-couplings, presenting an even surface, as shown, in combination with the detachable parts, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

Witnesses: DANIEL SNELL.

B. O. Oonvnnsn, CLARK SINTZ. 

